Ubu Sound Narratives

Paula Claire, Breeze, Energygalaxy and Astound, 1971

Like the other pieces in the "Disintegrating Languages" series, Paula Claire's works have a special emphasis on words and their breakdown thereof. Her poetry is meant to reflect a sense of "mobility" (in her own words) and I certainly didn't view the pieces as any sort of structured or traditional form at first listen. Similarly, her interest in breaking down words into their "atoms", their fundamental pieces, is most greatly reflected in Energygalaxy, where the speakers are virtually unintelligible.

Initially, I wasn't quite sure what to make of her works, though I was very interested in the thematic element of manipulating language. In listening to the pieces, I had a very visceral and fearful reaction to the way they were presented. The slightly disembodied, echoing voices, along with their increasing ferocity, evoke in me some sort of foreboding. However, though I did have this very strong reaction, I do not feel as if I fully understand the pieces, even after reading the brief description of the artist on the site. While the play on language is evident, I did associate the pieces with darker themes than perhaps what they were meant for.

Kathy Acker, Redoing Childhood, Miss Savage's School for Girls, 2000

Unlike Claire's pieces, Acker's work reflects a more clear narrative, and a more direct, even blunt, usage of language. It is very much apparent that her narration comes from a book, as I could very easily compare a transcript of the piece to something bound by letters and chapters even without knowing where it came from.

In regards to the effect of listening to it as an audio piece, her integration of various music styles was particularly noteworthy. Early in the piece, the upbeat and almost peppy song in the background of the narration was completely incongruous with her statements of adolescent angst and budding sexuality, but for me it worked. The contrast served the somewhat surreal and bizarre nature of the piece.